A Seminar on the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation was held on the 2nd November 2018 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada

TORONTO, ON (November 1, 2018) – The Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR) – the single largest interfaith gathering in the world – commenced its seven-day programme today in Toronto, drawing an enthusiastic audience interested in learning more about interreligious harmony. It was created to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. The themes for this year’s Parliament are: The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love: Pursuing Global Understanding, Reconciliation and Change.

Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, the Co-convenor and Co-chair of the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation addressed the opening plenary at the Parliament. He reflected: “Humanity’s journey with the interfaith movement has been long and arduous. The world is still in agony and the learning continues. Peace eludes us.”

He expressed continuing support of his organisation, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK), for the work of the Parliament. He also highlighted a proposal for advancing and accelerating the work of the interfaith movement, to achieve harmony and peace. “However, before we seek peace outside, we have to generate peace within ourselves. To create and sustain peace, we must reconcile. But to reconcile we must forgive. This is why in a humble effort we are proposing together, with committed friends, a Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation. The love in our hearts has to be stronger than the disagreements in our minds.”

Having heard other faith leaders share their commitments to reconciliation, Bhai Sahib finished his address with a prayer for the days ahead, “May the promise of oneness of humanity guide us as this Parliament begins.”

The Preamble of the Charter states:

“The vision of the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation is that the process of forgiving is vital if healing and reconciliation are to take place, as part of our collective efforts to seek justice, harmony and sustainable peace.”

A Seminar on Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Perspectives from the World’s Religions, hosted by the Charter project, took place on 2 November 2018 and was very well attended by 140 participants. They listened to the highly informative presentations of the world class speakers on the panel. Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh (Sikh), Rabbi David Rosen (Jewish), Prof Mohammed Abu-Nimer (Muslim) and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati (Hindu) spoke with great passion about forgiveness and reconciliation in the context of their respective faith traditions. The panel was moderated by Dr Josef Boehle, the Director of the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation.

With over 6000 participants attending the Parliament, with dozens of high-profile guest speakers and more than 1000 spiritual programs, lectures, and interactive cultural experiences, the event offers an opportunity to advance interreligious dialogue and cooperation, responding to the critical issues of our times. The initiators of the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation sincerely hope that the Charter will be embraced and acted upon, to foster forgiveness, reconciliation and peacebuilding worldwide.

As a co-leader and co-animator of the above campaign, I write to you concerning one of the greatest challenges that we all face today: the challenge of protecting the earth and its climate. If we stay on our current course, we can expect increasingly devastating natural disasters, widening shortages of food and water, mass migration and threats to human health and security. These effects will hurt all of us, most especially those already struggling with extreme poverty.

Each day we also recite ‘Pavan Guru, pani pita, mata dharat mahat’, instilling feelings of deep gratitude towards kudrat or nature which, like a parent, selflessly and lovingly nurtures and sustains us. Indeed, kudrat is to be revered as second only to God and to God’s Divine Name: ‘Aapinhai aap saajio, aapinhai rachio naou; dui kudrat saajiai, kar aasan dittho chhaou’ (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 463). We are urged to live responsibly in the world and to inspire others to do so. This loving duty, in fact, is our dharam.

As humans, the Creator has blessed us with the most exalted position out of the 8.4 million species of life – across the realms of matter, vegetation, animals and humans inhabiting this earth. Gurbani informs us that we are honoured and privileged as sovereigns, with all of nature’s resources at our disposal – ‘Is dharti mai teri sikdari…’ (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 374). Beyond living by instinct alone, we have the power to reason and also the opportunity to kindle within us the latent spark of Waheguru by cultivating values, virtues and living with integrity.

As stewards and custodians, we have a responsibility to safeguard, heal, protect and facilitate the flourishing of all life – sarbat da bhalla. Yet we are also prone to succumb to the negative traits which are part of human chemistry, such as lust, vengeance, greed, possessiveness and arrogance – kam, krodh, lobh, moh, ahankar. The end result is that we become exploitative and destructive.

Bhai Gurdas Ji – the divinely blessed scribe of Sri Aad Granth and spiritual poet par excellence of the Panth – informs us that Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s advent in 1469 stemmed from a ‘pukaar’ – a cry of help from the world, anguishing under the strain of human vice, lack of gratitude and ignorance. Every facet of the Sikh dharam – from its visible markers the five kakaars anddastar, together with the spiritual emblems of Ik Oankar and the Khanda – goad and spur us to rise to the highest inside ourselves. We are alerted and warned about the effects of greed, exploitation and apathy in human affairs.

Today, once again the planet’s cry for help is real. It is being felt and heard loud and clear around us. More than technical solutions, transforming our mindsets and consciousness, first and foremost, is the vital key. Ultimately it is the human mind which is the driver for sustainable change and, in this, Gurbani is explicit – man tu jyot saroop hai, aapna mool pachhaan (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 441). The best legacy we mortals can leave behind is to ensure that our actions result in immediate and furthest-reaching effects, to be enjoyed by the generations that will follow us.

As Sikhs who carry forward the legacy of our Gurus, we can do so much to support the Faiths for Earth campaign. As a first step, could I ask you to sign the petition and spread it through your networks http://faithsforearth.org/